Clutch



R E. CARTER CLUTCH May 5, 1942.

Patented Mayv 5, 1942 res y rer" ovvie CLUTCH Ray E. Carter, Tulsa,Ghia., assigner to `Unit Big is Equipment Company, Tulsa, mda., apartnership composed ci Jerry Underwood, Hugh Chancery, William Giner,and Ray E. Carter appiicausnmay e, 194.0, sena: No. 333,570 s claims.ici. isz-e5) This invention relates to a coupling device, particularly afriction clutch suitable for heavy duty Aoil field equipment, and hasfor its principal obof the terminal end of the hub to provide acylindrical sealing face I3 and a reduced threaded portion Id forming anannular shoulder I5 therewith.. Slidably mounted on the hub are one orself-cooling and self-clearing of foreign particles that ordinarilyinterfere with driving contact of the clutchelements; to provide aclutch construction wherein the driving elements may be caused togradually pick up driving contact with the driven elements therebyavoiding load shocks; and to provide a clutch. construction which isquiet in operation and perfectly balanced. In accomplishing these andother ,objects of the invention, I have provided improved details ofstructure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a clutch constructed in accordance .with thepresent invention, a part of which is shown in longitudinal section tobetter illustrate the construction thereof.

Fig. '2 is a detailcross-sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic vview showing one type of clutch installation.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

I designates a clutch constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, and which is adapted to operatively connect a driving member2 with a driven member 3.4 In the illustrated instance the drivingmemberis-shown as a shaft having an annular shoulder 4 formed by areduced extension 5 thereof and on which the` clutch is supported. Theclutch includes a driving element 6 comprising a hub I rigidly securedon the reduced portion of the driving shaft by a key 8 and so positionedthat one end of the hub engages thev stop shoulder 4 as clearly shown inFig. 1.

The driving element also comprises a back plate 9 which, in the presentinstance, is integral with the hub and has an annular contact face v I0on the hub side thereof to be engaged by a driven element II of theclutch, later described. The hub 'I is provided with a plurality ofspaced splines or teeth I2 extending longitudinally of the axis of shaftrotation but terminating short more floating clutch elements cooperatingwith the back plate 9. In the illustrated instance ll.' have shown twofloating elements, it and Il. The element Il comprisesva ring-like platehaving annular contact faces I8 and I9 on the respective sides thereofsimilar to the contact face It on the back plate to engage the drivenclutch element I I anda second driven element 2i) respectively. 'I'heinner circumference of the ring-like plate has spaced teeth 2!interengaged with the teeth l2 of the hub so that the plate is slidablyand rotatably connected with the driving element The other -floatingelement It includes an an=` nular plate portion 22 having a contact face23 engaging the other side face of the driven element 2l), a hub portion24 encircling the hub of the driving element, and a laterally extendingperimetrical flange 25. The hub 24 has an annular recess 26 opening fromthe side carrying the contact face 23 to accommodate the tooth portionof the vhub 1. -Thefann'ular wall of the recess 23 carries a pluralityof teeth 2l slidably engaged with the teethl of the hub so that thefloating elements I3 and Il rotateas a unit with the driving element 6.The hub 2d also includes a collar portion 23 encircling the 'sealingface of the hub, and is provided on its inner periphery with a packingrecess 23 in which' is contained a packing element 3i) sealinglyengagedwith the sealing face of the hub 'I as clearly shown in Fig.

J 1. The annular flange' 25, plate portion 22, and hub 24 cooperate toform a cylinder 3| to mount a piston 32, later described.v

The driven elements II and 20 each includes ring-like plates 33- havinginner circumferences to turn freely over the teeth I2 of the hub I andhaving outer circumferences extending beyond the outer peripheries ofthedriving elements to carry a plurality of teeth 34. The plates 33 arepreferably provided with clutch facings 35 and 36 Asecured thereto byfastening devices such as rivets 3l.

The piston 32 includes a head 38 having an inner offset portion 39retained in engagement with the shoulder I5 by a lock washer 40 and ajam-nut 4I which is threaded on the portion I3 of the hub, previouslydescribed. The portion 38 is connected with the outer offset portion 42by a conical portion 43 to accommodate the hub portion of the cylinder.Carried on the outer periphery of the head is a ange 44 having an an--sure chamber for the introduction of a pressure medium to effectmovement of the floating clutch contact faces. In order to` enhance thecooling effect, the intermediate floating plate elements are preferablyprovided with a plurality of radielements into driving relation with thedrivenA clutch elements, as later described.

In order to move the floating clutch elements in the opposite directionto release driving contact, the periphery of the tooth portion of thehub is provided with a plurality of longitudinal grooves or recesses 41each receiving a coil spring d8, each having one end engaging the bottomof the recessi in the hub of the floating element I6 and its oppositeend engaging a recess 49 pro vided in the back plate. The driven memberof the clutch includes a hub Eil loosely supported on the shaft andcarries a spider i that is secured to a ange 52 of the hub by fasteningdevices 53. The spider 5I carries a drum 54 extending over the drivingand driven elements of the clutch. The drum is provided on its innerface with a plurality of longitudinal teeth E inf terengaging the teeth3d of the driven elements All and 2n so that when the driving elementsare engaged with the driven elements, the driven member 3 is driventhrough the tooth engagement.

The mechanism to be actuated may be con nected with the driven member inany suitable manner, but in the drawing the 'hub 50 is shown as providedwith a pulley t. in order to limit longitudinal movement of the drivenmember on the shaft, the shaft carries a thrust washer 51 engageablebetween the. hub Sill and the hub l and a stop collar 5a which isretained against the opposite end of the hub 56 by a set-screw lill. Inorder to conduct the pressure medium to the pressure chamber, the shafthas an axial bore 60 opening from the outer end thereof andterinitiating in radial bores 6I extending through the hub 1 and openinginto `the pressure chamber as shown in Fig. l. The outer end of the bore6@ is closed by a plug 62 and connects through radial bores 63 with aninlet connection 64.

The air inlet connection includes a casing 65 sleeved upon a reducedextension of the shaft and which has a counterbore to receive packingrings 66 and 61 on the respective sides of the radial bores 63, thepackings being separated by a spacing ring 68 having an annular groove69 connecting the radial bores 63 with an air inlet port 10 through anopening 1I in the ring 68.

The air inlet port is connected by asuitable fitting 12 with a nexibleconnection 13 leading to a control valve 14 which selectively admitsa'pressure' medium from a source of supply indicated by the pipel15 intothe pressure chamber or to exhaust the pressure medium from the pres-4sure chamber through an exhaust connection 16, the valve being.manipulated by a suitable lever as indicated at 11.

In order to cool the intermediate clutch members and to effectself-cleaning of 'the clutch of foreign material tending to lodgebetween the contact faces thereof, the back plate is provided with aplurality .of threaded openings 1B carrying a pluralityof scoops 19having inlet openings 80 facing the direction of clutch rotation so thatair is collected thereby and directed through the respective springgrooves for discharge be- ',tween the faces of the clutch elements, whenthe clutch elements are disengaged, to dislodge any foreign materialtending to collect on' the al passageways 8l through which a portion ofthe collected air is discharged. The cooling air, upon exhausting frombetween the driven elements of the clutch,l is discharged from theinterior of the' driving member, through openings 82' in the drum 54.

While the clutch may be used in various installations, vone installationis shown in Fig. 3 wherein the driving shaft 2 is shown as directlyconnected and supported by the armature shaft of a motor 83 while theopposite end of the shaft is carried in a pillow bearing 84. Operatingover the pulley 56 is a belt 85 to deliver power of the motor to anactuated mechanism (not shown).

When the clutch is assembled and installedV as described, with the valveset toexhaust position, the'f'sprlngs 58 are effective in shifting thefloating element i6 of the clutch away from the driveffecting drive ofthe driven member. When the valve is shifted to its'other position, apressure medium such as air is admitted from the pipe 15, flexibleconnection 13, port 10, radial bores (i3, axial bore 60, and radialpassageways 6I into the pressure chamber to exert pressure between thehead of the cylinder and piston, thereby shifting the driving andfloating elements I6 and I1 and driven elements II and 20' of the clutchinto contact with each other to effect rotation of the driven member.

Rotation of the back plate causes the scoops 19 to pick up air anddischarge it through the radial passageways 8| in the intermediatefloating member of the clutch to effect cooling thereof. When the airpressure is exhausted from the piston chamber and the springs areeective to separate the driving and driven elements, a part of thecooling air is discharged between the ing three driving elements and twodriven elements, it is obvious that a greater number of intermediatedrivingand driven elements may be v employed or a single driving elementmay be used in connection with the floating cylinder and back platewithout departing from the spirit of the invention. Y

What I claim Patent is: 1. A clutch pf the character described.including, driving and driven members. means supporting said members incoaxial alignment, one of said members having spring seats and a hubportion provided with longitudinal recesses registering with said springseats, means interposed and desire to secure by Letters between saidmembers and having frlctional conapplying members on said hub, a packingele-- ment for sealing the piston member relatively to said peripheralharige and to cooperate with said packing and said anchoring means forsealing a pressure chamber formed between said pressure applyingmembers, means for admitting a pressure medium between said pressureapplying members, and an expansion spring in each recess and having oneend engaging a registering spring seat and the other the movablelpressure applying memberfordisengaging said contact faces upon exhaustof the pressure medium.

2. A clutch ofv members having longitudinally extending spring receivingrecesses, means supporting said members in coaxial alient, a backingflange on the member having the recesses and provided with spring seatsregistering with the recesses, means interposed between said members andhaving frictional contact faces to connect said members in drivingrelation with each other when axial pressure isapplied to effectengaging contact of said faces, means for applying said pressureincluding a cylinder having a head mounted on one of said membersopposite the backing ilange and having a lateral peripheral flangeforming a piston chamber, a piston in said chamber and mounted upon themember carrying the cylinder, means slidably sealing the cylinder withits mounting member, means anchoring the piston directly on saidmounting member, springs in said recesses each having one end engaging aseat in the backing 'flange and the other said cylinder to yyieldablyretain said contact faces in for. admitting a pressure medium betweensaid piston and cylinder to effect engagement of said l contact faces.

3. A` clutch of the character described including, a hub member having aperipheral backing flange at one end thereof and an annular stopshoulder-at the other end, splines extending longitudinally of said hub,spring sockets interposed between said splines, a drum member, meanssupporting said drum and hub members in coaxial alignment, meansinterposed between e splines of said hub contact faces to connect thehub and drum members in driving relation with each other, a cylinderhaving a. head cooperating with the backing nange and having an oii'sethub portion forming a recess to accommodate the splinesof said hubmember, teeth in said recess engaging said splines, means sealing saidhub member ywith said oflset hub portion of the cylinder, a piston thecharacter described includ-v ing, a hub member, a drum member, one ofsaid spaced relation, and means andthedrumandhaving 4to accommodate insaid cylinder having an end wall onset to accommoclate the oil'set hubof the cylinder and engaging said annular shoulder, means for retainingsaid offset portion of the piston in engagement with said annularshoulder, means for admitting a pressure medium between the piston andthe cylinder to move the cylinder against said contact faces, andsprings in said sockets having one end engaging against said backingflange and the other against said onset hub portion of the cylinder torelieve pressure on said contact faces.

4. A clutch of the character described including, a hub member having aperipheral backing flange at one end thereof and an annular stopshoulder at the other end, splines extending longitudinally of said hub,spring sockets interposed between said splines, a drum, means supportingsaid drum and huh in coaxial alignment, means interposed between thesplines of said hub and the drum and having contact faces to connect thehub and in driving relation with each other, a cylinder having a headcooperating with the. backing nange and having a recess to accommodatethe splines oi said hub, teeth in said recess engaging said splines,means sealing said hub with the head of the cylinder, a piston in saidcylinder having a head engaging said annular stop shoulder of the hub,means for clamping the head of the piston against said annular shoulder,means idr admitting a pressure medium between the piston and thecylinder to move the cylinder to effect engagement of said contactfaces, and springs in said sockets having one end engaging against saidbacking flange and the other against the bottom of the recess to relievepressure on said contact faces.

5. A clutch or che character described includ# ing, a hub member, a drummember, one of said members having longitudinally extending springreceiving recesses, means supporting said members in coaxial alignment,a backing nange on the member ha vg the recesses and provided withspringseats registering with the recesses, means interposed between saidmembers and having frictional contact faces to connect said members indriving relation with each other when axial pressure is applied tnVenect engaging contact o! said faces, means for applying said pressureincluding a cylinder having a head mounted on one of said membersopposite the backing ilange and having a lateral peripheral flangeforming a piston chamber, a piston in said chamber and mounted upon themember carryingl the cylinder, means slidably` sealing the cylinder withits mounting member, means anchoring the piston` directly onsaid-mounting member, springs in said recesses each having one end engaginga seat in the backing flange and the other said cylinder to yieldablyretain said contact faces in spaced relation, and means for admitting apressure medium between said piston and cylinder to ei'iect engagementof said contact faces, said pressure applying means having portionsonset from said connecting means the combined width of said connectingmeans.`

. RAY E. CARTER.

springs of greater length than

